New Delhi: Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar along with Election Commissioners Gyanesh Kumar and Dr. Sandhu began the press conference.
The poll panel announced dates of assembly polls in Haryana and Jammu and Kashmir today. The schedule for assembly elections in Maharashtra and Jharkhand is expected later.
The poll panel recently visited Jammu and Kashmir and Haryana to review the preparations for the Assembly elections 2024. However, the ECI is yet to visit the Eknath Shinde-headed state of Maharashtra and Jharkhand ruled by Hemant Soren-led government.
The terms of the legislative assemblies of Haryana and Maharashtra end in November. Usually, the two elections are held together. The term of the legislative assembly of Jharkhand ends in January 2025.
Elections to Jammu and Kashmir assembly is also due after the Supreme Court set September 30, 2024 deadline for holding polls in the UT.
Jammu and Kashmir has been under Central rule since June 19, 2018, following the collapse of a coalition government headed by the People’s Democratic Party’s Mehbooba Mufti after the pullout of its alliance partner Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
CEC Rajiv Kumar said there are a total of 90 assembly constituencies in Jammu and Kashmir, of which 74 are general, SC-7 and ST-9. “There will be a total of 87.09 lakh voters in Jammu and Kashmir, of which 44.46 lakh are males, 42.62 lakh are females, 3.71 lakh are first-time voters and 20.7 lakh are young voters. The Amarnath Yatra will end on August 19 and the final voter list will also be published on August 20,” he said.
